obdurate
Americanadjective
-
unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
- Synonyms:
- inflexible, unbending, callous, obstinate, hard
-
stubbornly resistant to moral influence; persistently impenitent.
an obdurate sinner.
- Synonyms:
- shameless, reprobate, unregenerate
adjective
-
not easily moved by feelings or supplication; hardhearted
-
impervious to persuasion, esp to moral persuasion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obdurate
1400–50; late Middle English obdurat < Latin obdūrātus (past participle of obdūrāre to harden), equivalent to ob- ob- + dūr ( us ) hard + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Obdurate is a formal word meaning stubborn. If you want to major in English, but your parents are obdurate that you should go premed, they might go so far as to threaten not to pay your tuition. This adjective descends from Latin obdurare, "to harden." A near synonym is adamant, from Latin adamas, "hard metal, diamond." So both of these synonyms derive from the quality of hardness being associated with a stubborn personality.
Vocabulary lists containing obdurate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mathew pointed to the company’s obdurate disregard for punishment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
To the religious authorities in England in the early 16th century, an obdurate Oxford scholar became a public enemy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
But it faces an obdurate, well-armed and angry enemy.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2024
Its leader, Wayne LaPierre, was the face of obdurate resistance to regulations on firearms.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
My reserve was greater and more obdurate than ever before.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
